Defense Pact between France and the Union of Soviet Socialist Stateshave committed an act of war against all the other Members of
the League, France and reciprocally the Union of Soviet Social-
ist Republics undertake, in the event of one of them being the
object, in these conditions and notwithstanding the sincerely
peaceful intentions of both countries, of an unprovoked aggres-
sion on the part of a European State, immediately to come to
each other’s aid and assistance in application of article 16 of the
Covenant.
The same obligation is assumed in the event of France or the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics being the object of an
aggression on the part of a European State in the circumstances
specified in Article 17, paragraphs 1 and 3, of the Covenant of
the League of Nations.
Article 4. The undertakings stipulated above being in conso-
nant with the obligations of the High Contracting Parties as
Members of the League of Nations, nothing in the present
Treaty shall be interpreted as restricting the duty of the latter to
take any action that may be deemed wise and effectual to safe-
guard the peace of the world or as restricting the obligations
resulting for the High Contracting Parties by the Covenant of
the League of Nations.
Article 5. The present Treaty, both the French and Russian
texts whereof shall be equally authentic, shall be ratified and the
instruments of ratification shall be exchanged at Moscow as
soon as possible. It shall be registered with the Secretariat of the
League of Nations.
It shall take effect as soon as the ratifications have been
exchanged, and shall remain in force for five years. If it is not
denounced by either of the High Contracting Parties giving
notice thereof at least one year before the expiry of that period,
it shall remain in force indefinitely, each of the High Contract-
ing Parties being at liberty to terminate it at a year’s notice by a
declaration to that effect.
In faith whereof the Plenipotentiaries have signed the pres-
ent Treaty and have thereto affixed their seals.
Done at Paris, in duplicate, this 2nd day of May, 1935.
(L.S.) (Signed) V. POTEMKINE.
(L.S.) (Signed) Pierre LAVAL.
Protocol of Signature.
Upon proceeding to the signature of the Franco-Soviet Treaty
of Mutual Assistance of to-day’s date, the Plenipotentiaries have
signed the following protocol, which shall be included in the
exchange of ratifications of the Treaty:
I. It is agreed that the effect of Article 3 is to oblige each Con-
tracting Party immediately to come to the assistance of the
other by immediately complying with the recommendations of
the Council of the League of Nations as soon as they have been
issued in virtue of Article 16 of the Covenant. It is further
agreed that the two contracting parties will act in concert to
ensure that the Council shall issue the said recommendations
with all the speed required by the circumstances of the case, and
that, should the Council nevertheless, for whatever reason, issue
no recommendation or fail to reach a unanimous decision,
effect shall non the less be given to the obligation to render
assistance. It is also agreed that the undertakings to render assis-
tance mentioned in the present Treaty refer only to the case of
an aggression committed against either of the Contracting
Party’s own territory.
II. It being the common intention of the two Governments
in no way to contradict, by the present Treaty, undertakings pre-
viously assumed towards third States by France and by the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in virtue of published
treaties, it is agreed that effect shall not be given to the provi-
sions of the said Treaty in a manner which, being incompatible
with treaty obligations assumed by one of the Contracting Par-
ties, would expose the latter to sanctions of an international
character.
III. The two Governments, deeming it desirable that a
regional agreement should be concluded aiming at organising
security between Contracting States, and which might more-
over embody or be accompanied by pledges of mutual assis-
tance, recognise their right to become parties by mutual con-
sent, should occasion arise, to similar agreements in any form,
direct or indirect, that may seem appropriate, the obligations
under these various agreements to take the place of those
assumed under the present Treaty.
IV. The two Governments place on record the fact that the
negotiations which have resulted in the signature of the present
Treaty were originally undertaken with a view to supplementing
a Security Agreement embracing the countries of North-East-
ern Europe, namely, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,
Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland and the Baltic States which
are neighbors of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; in
addition to that Agreement, there was to have been concluded a
Treaty of Assistance between the Union of the Soviet Socialist
Republics, France and Germany, by which each of these three
States was to have undertaken to come to the assistance of any
one of them which might be the object of aggression on the part
of any other of those three States. Although circumstances have
not hitherto permitted of the conclusion of those Agreements,
which the two parties continue to regard as desirable, it is none
the less the case that the undertakings stipulated in the Franco-
Soviet Treaty of Assistance are to be understood as intended to
apply only within the limits contemplated in the three-party
Agreement previously planned. Independently of the obliga-
tions assumed under the present Treaty, it is further recalled
that, in accordance with the Franco-Soviet Pact of Non-Aggres-
sion signed on November 29th, 1932, and moreover, without
affecting the universal character of the undertakings assumed in
that Pact, in the event of either Party becoming the object of
aggression by one or more third European Powers not referred
to in the above-mentioned three-party Agreement, the other
Contracting Party is bound to abstain, during the period of the
conflict, from giving any aid or assistance, either direct or indi-
rect, to the aggressor or aggressors, each Party declaring further